BALTIMORE — There is a time every year during training camp where dreams are momentarily crushed. Players hate to get summoned to the head coach’s office when teams get closer to the deadline to trim roster. The Baltimore Ravens had to make some roster moves as they made their way towards the mandatory roster reduction to 75 players. The deadline to get to 75 players is Tuesday at 4pm.
The Ravens released eight players on Monday. Those players include: OG Leon Brown, WR DeAndre Carter, CB Tramain Jacobs, G/T Marcel Jones, P Justin Manton, WR Aldrick Robinson, LS Patrick Scales and WR Trent Steelman. The team also placed OT James Baldwin, DB Matt Elam, CB Chris Greenwood, OLB Steven Means and TE Alan Reisner on injured reserve.
At the moment, the Ravens have 77 players on the roster. They need to make two more moves to get the roster down to the limit. The team will have decisions to make regarding Brent Urban and Dennis Pitta. There are some players on the roster bubble that could be released as well. Ultimately, this team needs to get down to 53 players by Saturday at 4 p.m.
Ravens head coach John Harbaugh does an excellent job of connecting to the players, which makes this a tough time for him. “It’s always a challenge when you have cut-down day. As long as you do it – many years [for me] now as I’ve had a chance to do this – it doesn’t get any easier,” Harbaugh said. “You put yourself in the player’s shoes. At one point in time in life, we’re all in those shoes, right? We all face that type of deal, and our guys were great. They handled it great. They’re pros.”
The players that are on the roster bubble will have one last shot to show what they can do as a Raven when the team wraps up the preseason on the road against the Atlanta Falcons. Some players to watch fight for their NFL lives include: WRs Daniel Brown and Tom Nelson, RBs Fitzgerald Toussaint and Terence Megee, DBs Asa Jackson, Nick Perry, Quinton Pointer and Cassius Vaughn along with DTs Micajah Reynolds and Christo Bilukidi.
Someone will have to make a play that will cause coaches and personnel people to really think twice about releasing them. That play could come on special teams. Many players are able to make a roster because outstanding play on special teams can tilt things in their favor. There will be NFL lives at stake over the next few days so the competition will be fierce.